As you begin the Home Downsizing process, one of the first questions you have to ask yourself is “What are you trying to accomplish by downsizing?” Different people will be downsizing for different reasons. What are your downsizing goals and objectives?
Removing Memories: Have you recently lost a loved one, through death or divorce, or does your current situation contain too many bad memories of better times past? In certain circumstances it may be best to move on to a new home or surroundings and get on with the next phase of your life.
Removing the Excess Clutter: Do you need to simplify your life by removing much of the accumulated clutter that is all around you, just to make more room? I have been in homes where there was just a little clutter laying around. And I have been in other homes where you couldn’t physically enter a room because it was packed so full.
Financing a Special Project: Are you seeking to raise cash to finance a grand child’s college education, reduce your debt, buy a boat or recreational vehicle, purchase a destination resort property, or move into a retirement community?
Consolidating: Are you consolidating two or more homes and need to remove the excess personal property? For some it means cleaning house after consolidating a family member’s estate into their house. For others it means consolidating the personal property from a vacation home and permanent home into a single living situation.
Cashing In: Are you cashing in the collections and personal property that you have accumulated over the past years, but no longer want or need? The 1980’s-1990’s were the Golden Age of Antiques & Collectibles and many people assembled fabulous collections…of everything. Is it time to sell your collection?
Estate Situation: Are you handling an estate that needs to be disposed of? We have seen situations where a loved one passed away and the family couldn’t let go of the personal property, so they placed it in storage, planning on dealing with it after the grieving period had subsided. Years later they were still paying hefty storage fees. And what they paid the storage company over the years far exceeded the value of what they kept in storage.
Moving: Are you interested in moving into a different home or location? Moving often means reducing what you can take with you to the new home. Proper planning will be required just to know what to keep and what to let go of.
Time Constraints: Are you facing a time constraint because your current home may have sold faster than you had anticipated? Proper planning can help you to make more money as you downsize your home. And failure to plan can sometimes force you into the position of having to sell for a fraction of true value.
Before proceeding too far into the Home Downsizing process, be sure that you are clear on your personal goals and objectives, and what you are trying to accomplish.
Home Downsizing Tips & Strategies
* You need to define your individual downsizing goals and objectives before entering the Home Downsizing process.
* There are many varying and different reasons why people downsize their homes. What are yours?
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